Mosstowie Primary hailed by Education Scotland for creating ‘positive and nurturing’ environment although management of change rated ‘weak’
A Moray school has been praised for the nurturing environment it provides its pupils.
Mosstowie Primary School, near Elgin, has earned plaudits from Education Scotland inspectors for the positive atmosphere youngsters enjoy there.
The inspection team have also highlighted various areas of improvement at the school to ensure continuous progress and support sustained development.
When they visited the school last November, inspectors noted that the confident and happy children there proudly embodied the school’s values in their interactions with staff, visitors and each other.
The supportive and respectful relationships within the school community were praised for promoting a strong ethos of well-being, encouraging learning and personal growth. Inspectors also acknowledged the proactive approach to school improvement led by the acting headteacher.
Despite being relatively new to the role, the acting headteacher has introduced several important initiatives aimed at enhancing educational outcomes. The school community has shown strong support for these measures and staff are committed to working collaboratively to implement positive changes.
Mosstowie Primary’s acting headteacher Nicole Fraser said: “I want to thank our pupils and staff for their hard work and commitment, which contributed to the positive aspects highlighted in the report.
“We’re already taking steps to strengthen leadership and improve our self-evaluation practices.
“Alongside this, our goal is to make meaningful improvements that will enhance the learning experience for all our pupils.”
Moray Council’s chief education officer, Vivienne Cross, added: “We’re encouraged by the positive findings, particularly the good rating for wellbeing, equality and inclusion.
“However, we also recognise the need for improvement. We’ve already started working closely with the school to address these areas and build on the positive foundations already in place.
“With dedicated effort and collaboration, we’re confident the school will achieve sustainable improvements.”
Education Scotland will liaise with Moray Council on these improvements and a further inspection will be carried out within the year.
The inspection focused on four quality indicators: Leadership of change; Learning, teaching and assessment; Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion; Raising attainment and achievement. The ratings ranged from ‘weak’ to ‘good,’ highlighting areas of strength as well as opportunities for growth.
Leadership of change was rated ‘weak’, although since stepping into the role a short while ago Ms Fraser was praised for introducing “many new and important approaches to support improvement”.
Inspectors recommended strengthening strategic planning and adopting more rigorous self-assessment methods to ensure effective school development. Additionally, they emphasised the importance of maintaining consistently high-quality teaching to support pupil progress and raise overall attainment.
The full report can be found on Education Scotland’s website.
